This past February, Eagle Eye Produce Inc., based in Idaho Falls, ID, was named the 2011 U.S. Exporter of the Year by the Agricultural Trade Office, a market promotion office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture located in Mexico City, Mexico.

The inclusion of fresh produce from Michigan helps Duda Farm Fresh Foods maintain optimum quality while servicing regional customers. “By growing and selling fresh produce grown in Michigan, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is able to service customers with a locally grown and regionally available product,” Director of Marketing Nichole Towell told The Produce News on June 12. “We service the customer for most of the year with product from Michigan that is high in quality and saves on shipping time and distance.”

The California Avocado Commission is celebrating the second annual California Avocado Week at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, CA, to encourage visitors to include California avocados in their celebrations this summer.

From July 1-7, attendees had the opportunity to sample delicious dishes featuring California avocados prepared by some of the top Downtown Disney executive chefs.

Last year, the United States lost out on a large percentage of the Australian citrus crop due to more-favorable markets in Southeast Asia. This year, the Australians are back in full force, with a 50-percent increase in citrus shipped to the United States, according to Stu Monaghan, national sales manager for DNE World Citrus Sales in Stuart, FL.

The first Australian vessel arrived in Long Beach, CA, June 22; by July 6, the third was already scheduled to dock.

WASHINGTON — School children that qualify for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in coming years may be choosing between fresh, frozen, canned and dried produce, one of the provisions that may be hard to swallow for fresh produce suppliers in the draft farm bill 2012 released by the House Agriculture Committee July 5.

The 557-page draft bill sets the stage for the markup in the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, a multi-day event to start July 11.

With imported “Pink Lady” brand apples now arriving from a number of Southern Hemisphere countries, Pink Lady America is asking shoppers to look closely at that fruit in order to be sure they are selecting apples packed under trademark quality standards.